Objection! – G Gundam: A Clash of Ideas

Silverwolf: Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s edition of Objection! I’m here today with our awesome anime avatar Kaushik to talk about G Gundam (see review here and our own Moar Powah G Gundam creations)! I’m going to be talking about what a let down the series is.

Kaushik: Oh come now, it was most certainly not a let down. It’s not even the worst Gundam out there, not by a long shot.

The worst Gundam

Silverwolf: Really? I’m not so sure. Let’s start with the mecha designs: most just look…terrible. I mean, Neo Japan gets a cool suit but the rest are downright ridiculous.

Kaushik: I will admit they’re more or less caricatures of their country of origin, but that has its own charm. As long as you don’t take it too seriously, I think some of them are pretty funny. And once you get into the heat of the moment, that kind of stuff doesn’t matter so much. And there are a lot of heated moments.

Silverwolf: Hm…I guess. It’s just hard for me to take a fight between a giant windmill and a giant bear seriously. Heck, some of the designs (and names) are pretty offensive. Making Neo Arabia have the SKUD Gundam and Neo Mexico with the Tequila Gundam…it’s an understatement to say that isn’t PC.

Kaushik: Yeah, I get your point. But G Gundam is the kind of series that you’re not supposed to really take seriously. You just get caught up with what’s going on, and you don’t really think about the whos or whys of the situation. It’s supposed to be a fun ride, not any deep social commentary. I think the best illustration of that is how the fights are handled. While they certainly have that Gundam flair, parts of it take on this really cool martial arts theme that’s so unlike any other mecha series.

Silverwolf: Hm…I suppose your right in that regard. I do think the idea of making the pilots motions control the Gundams is a good one (especially since it was the only series to do so). One of my other issues with the series is the characters: most of them felt pretty unlikable and one-dimensional. Even if it’s comedy, that doesn’t mean the characters have to be this way: just look at a series like Genshiken and you’ll see what I mean.

Kaushik: I will agree that they are fairly one-dimensional. For the most part the characters go through one, maybe two little sections of development before they’re thrown away to their own caricatures. I think the dynamic between Domon and Master Asia is surprisingly well done though, and Master Asia’s death scene remains one of the more powerful moments in a Gundam series. While there are some unintentional comedic elements to G Gundam, there is some great action and drama backing it up… though a lot less drama.

Say what you will about G Gundam; nothing's topping this.

Silverwolf: Yeah, Master Asia is one of the better characters in the series by far, but I feel he’s the exception rather than the rue. I also have to say the villain for the series really ticked me off: the Dark/Devil Gundam just always seem somewhat…stupid to me. Maybe the was intentional, but I felt it towed the line too much between ridiculous villain and serious foe.

Kaushik: Yeah on that I have to agree with you. I think the overarching plot was all sorts of stupid. I honestly can’t even remember the point of it… I think it was some sort of environmental thing? While it was mildly interesting because Domon’s brother was involved, it still felt pretty weak. Even so, I think it was good enough as a vehicle to get some really solid action into the series. I still remember Master Asia ripping through all those suits on foot with a scarf while I was a kid.

Silverwolf: Yeah, Master Asia was awesome. I also have to admit one hammy element I did like was that the horse had his own Gundam.

Kaushik: Haha, yeah, that was cool. I like how Domon carried his legacy by using the horse later on.

It's even piloted by a horse!

Silverwolf: Hm…I’m not sure what else to talk about; are there any other aspects of the series you’d like to discuss?

Kaushik: Hm, art and animation aren’t really my strong suit… I guess there were a few good tracks in the show? I seem to remember the opening theme fairly well, though honestly it might only be for its Engrish. I think what’s most important to enjoying a series like G Gundam is to not take it all that seriously and just stick it out for some great action and a few intense moments.

Silverwolf: Yeah, that’s true. I think maybe if I give it another shot I may find some new stuff. I guess my problem is I also look at anime/movies/comics with the search for a good plot and characters in mind, but maybe that’s not what should be done in all cases.

Kaushik: I understand if you’re looking for a strong plot with strong characters it might not be for you. There are certain things G Gundam does well, and I wouldn’t argue in favor of those two points.

Silverwolf: Well, I guess we agree more than we first thought (laughs).

Kaushik: Yeah I thought your criticisms were valid, I think we just found different things when we watched it. I found a reason to enjoy it, and you found a reason to dislike it.

Silverwolf: I think that’s a good place to stop for now. Join us next week for another exciting edition of Objection!

2 Comments:

:U *Clapclapclap*
That's the thing with G Gundam, you can't take it too seriously and almost need to consider it along the lines of super sentai – kinda – but then again, you need to take a step back and realize that in its mediocre greatness it does have its faults!
For the art, though, I always look back on it fondly and with the rose-colored lenses of "nostalgia"; you can argue that other series at the time had better art, but the uh, dynamic (Ridiculous) designs for the characters and their Gundams deserve props

Can't you tell it's my favorite one? lol. Great debate. I think the art is a victim of both the times and of the budget they had. But I agree with fenrir – the designs at least stood out.

Also, I disagree that there's not a lot of character development. I think the characters can be complex and interesting. And yeah, the plot could have been strong, but I liked the how expansive it felt, and how interlinked this world was.